Evening the Score
by icantfindmyshow
Summary: Post-Finale Season 1. Marino doesn't die when Jane pulls the trigger. What happens in the hospital? Written with Maurapedia.
1. Chapter 1

A pop echoed through the streets of Boston, causing the citizens to duck to the ground in fear. The only ones not cringing from the sound were the officers and detectives of the Boston Police Force. They were all huddled around the entrance of the station, hidden behind cars with their guns still locked on a now empty spot.

Only three bodies moved. Two fell to the ground. And one ran towards them.

"Jane!" the woman running screamed at she grew closer. It was Doctor Maura Isles, the medical examiner. She fell to her knees at the bloodied ground next to the fallen two. "Jane, stay with me. Come on, Jane. Stay awake."

"Maura," one of the fallen two moaned.

"Jane. Jane," Maura said frantically, her hands flittering over Jane's body to try to fix what she could.

The bullet wound was through and through. Jane had shot through herself and into the man lying unmoving behind her. Their blood swirled together on the concrete sidewalk, one darker shade of red and one lighter shade creating a darker, murkier burgundy stain on the tan ground.

"Jane, please keep talking," Maura stilled her movements and grasped Jane bloodied hands in hers. "Don't move. Jane, talk to me," she commanded, her voice shaking slightly.

"Maur-," Jane groaned.

"Can we EMTs over here? Maura cried to the crowd of people just now reacting to the fallen two.

Jane sucked in a gulp of air. "Frankie," she choked out.

"Korsak! Go with Frankie," Maura yelled, clutching Jane's clammy hand to her chest.

"Jane, please. Hang in there, "Maura brought her hand to her lips. She sucked in a shaky breath as she rocked back and forth, clutching Jane. "Jane, Jane, Jane," she whispered slowly.

"I'm okay, Maur," Jane smiled, though it looked more like a grimace. "Feel like I've been sumo wrestling with Shrek, but I'm okay."

"Jane," Maura scolded, but couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her lips.

"Really, it doesn't hurt," she said and shifted slightly. The small movement caused her to gasp.

"EMTs now," Maura shouted. She squeezed Jane's hand one more time before letting go and allowing the EMTs take over.

"What's her name?" one of the men asked Maura.

"Jane Rizzoli. One gunshot wound might have punctured the diaphragm. She's allergic to Penicillin. Blood type O Neg. She's – She's thirty-four years old."

"Okay, we'll take care of her," he said as they began loading her into the ambulance.

"Wait, I'm coming with her."

The man hopped down out of the ambulance. "I don't know if that's the best idea. You're in shock."

"But I– I guess you're right," Maura said defeated. She gave the man a forced smile and looked down. The blood was still swimming with the concrete ground. Sand mixed with it, making it glitter in the sun. A line from _The Merchant of Venice_ popped into her head. "All that glisters is not gold." No, it most certainly is not, she thought.

"Let her," a pained voice coughed from behind her. Maura whipped her head around and saw Frankie Rizzoli lying in a gurney. He offered a small smile before being wheeled away. Korsak was right behind him. He paused behind Maura and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let her," he said. His voice was empty and his eyes were still wide with shock. If one didn't know this man as the panda bear he was, they would immediately step back in fear.

"Alright then. Let's go. We need to be there five minutes ago," the man said to Maura, reaching his hand out to help her up.

She took it gracefully and climbed into the vehicle, here eyes on one thing, Jane's face.


	2. Chapter 2

"Korsak! Go with Frankie," Maura yelled, here eyes never leaving Jane.

Seeing her, laying there on the street with her blood draining out of her body, he remembered when he'd seen another Jane Rizzoli. He could see them both, almost as if they were lying next to each other: a younger Detective Rizzoli and the present one.

The last time he'd seen her like this, she had been the shell of the woman she had always been. In that moment, she was empty. She was nothing. She had nothing left. In that one moment, there was no Jane Rizzoli. There was only the powerless; hollow being Hoyt had left in her place.

With her hands pinned to the floor by the scalpels driven through her palms, she whimpered and pleased, "Please… Don't…"

As his third scalpel inched closer to her throat, Korsak had kicked the door open. Before Hoyt could make his final cut, Korsak fired a bullet right into his shoulder.

The scalpel dropped from his hand upon impact and clattered to the ground and away from Jane.

Her whimpers turned into sobs and apologies.

Even now, years later, he could still hear the whimpers and pleadings of mercy that came from Jane's mouth at the touch of Hoyt's scalpel. But, they were never allowed to speak of that night. Jane's pride wouldn't let Korsak ever bring it up. She never told anyone what had really happened.

He couldn't shake either image. She was stronger now than she had been before, but no less stupid. If she ever made it through, he wanted to wring her neck himself for being such an idiot.

But part of him smiled at her bravery, the bravery that would only ever belong to her. She was one of a kind. And a hell of a police officer.

Korsak had been in this business long enough to have lost faith in any kind of high being long ago. But, he paused for a moment and bowed his head to prey for her recovery before running quickly into the building with the medical crew to find Frankie Rizzoli.

Glass cluttered the ground everywhere, and there were bodies laying in the lobby like someone had been playing with dolls and just dropped them there. There was no movement, not breath in any of them. They just lay still, cold and dead.

Korsak ran into the morgue and saw Frankie being lowered onto a gurney. He groaned as he was put down.

"Hey, bud. You're gonna be just fine," Korsak said, his eyes filling with tears. He'd always pictured Frankie as his adopted children. He felt like it was his own son laying there, almost dead. Almost like the bodies he's seen everyday for years, cold and staring, but unseeing.

"Jane," Frankie coughed out, a little blood bubbling up in his throat.

Korsak blinked back the tears and put on a brave face. "She saved you, bud. You'll be okay," he lied through his teeth. He knew if Frankie found out Jane was hurt, he wouldn't live to see if she recovered.

"Thanks, man," Frankie closed his eyes and winced in pain. He was wheeled away with Korsak trailing after him. When they were back in the sunlight, he saw Jane's ambulance speeding away.

"Let her be safe," he whispered to no one, hoping for a miracle.

An EMT turned to him and said, "He needs surgery. The doc saved him, but he's still got a way to go. We need to go now. Are you coming?"

Korsak nodded and climbed clumsily into the ambulance and sat holding Frankie hand.

"It's gonna be okay," he whispered, with not a hint of hope in his voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Frost was mortified at what he'd seen happen just moments before the EMT's arrived at the scene, outside the Boston PD. He shook his head to try and wake himself up from the nightmare he seemed to be having but, nothing changed as he blinked a few times, still seeing the horror unfolding before his eyes; Jane was laying on the floor, her blood trickling out of both gunshot wounds at her stomach and her back, Maura kneeling next to her and holding her hand, squeezing as she muttered words to Jane to keep her awake, and Marino laying behind Jane, lifeless.

For a few seconds, the scene in front of Frost and his fellow Detective buddies played out in slower than slow motion. He had watched as Marino had held Jane close to him, holding her at gunpoint as he demanded things from the Boston PD. They had all thought he was a good cop, but he wasn't. He was bad, a dirty cop. Frost had watched as Maura had appeared on the steps of the station, and she had watched as Jane had turned the gun on herself. He had faith in Jane, she knew what she was doing, though he still couldn't help but fear for her, and fear for Maura who was rushing towards she and Bobby.

The shot had been so much more powerful than any round he had remembered from any Government issued weapon he'd remembered firing. It's power had surged from the barrel of the 9mm, through Jane's stomach, tearing through her body to pop out of the back and it still had the power to go through Bobby's body, shooting out a scarlet spray when it left his back. The bullet had caused both Marino and Jane to lurch backwards in unison, as if the bullet had adjoined them to one another.

After that, the happenings had been fuzzy to Barry as he continued to watch, but he still hadn't processed what had happened to his partner, and Korsak's previous partner. It wasn't until he saw the lights flashing bloody murder even in the warm Boston afternoon, and the sirens wailing that he even woke up to the cruel reality of what had happened, when he saw Jane laying there. Frost got up from his ducked position behind the vehicle with Korsak and Cavanaugh, he moved towards Jane and Maura. He shook his head before looking to Bobby and sighing, his jaw set and his teeth were gritting together.

The EMT's rushed over, fussing over both Jane and Bobby before talking with Maura, "Is there anybody injured in the building?" one of them asked her.

"There's an officer in the autopsy lab. Basement floor. He needs surgery." Maura replied before she turned back to Jane, squeezing her hand as the EMT gave her a quick check over and lifted her onto the gurney to be taken into the ambulance. Of course, Maura stuck by her side.

Frost moved quickly toward his partner and saw as the EMT's lifted Marino onto a gurney to also take him to hospital. _He's alive?_ Frost thought to himself and looked down on the once friendly and trustworthy cop the Boston PD had all known. The young Detective watched as they wheeled the gurney to the back of the ambulance and he saw those metal legs flip up so to slide the bed into the back of the vehicle. He looked toward Jane and Maura before he almost bolted over to that ambulance that now contained Marino in the back.

"I'm coming along for the ride." he announced to the EMT who had climbed into the back and was about ready to close the doors as Frost jumped inside.

It wasn't long before the ambulance took off, wailing its sirens once again, announcing to all that an accident had occurred on the streets of Boston. Frost was looking down to Marino as he groaned in pain, only now realizing he was still awake and alive, "Frost..." he just managed to get the young African American's name past his teeth, they were tightly forced together with the agony that was coursing through his body from the gunshot wounds.

"Bobby." Frost replied coolly, even though he wanted to finish off the newly outed dirty cop in the Boston PD squad. He moistened his lip and leaned closer to the perpetrator of the day's havoc, "Why d'you do it, Marino, huh? It wasn't about the evidence, was it?"

"I...it was, Bar-...you know it was." Marino choked out as the pain seared through him again.

Frost shook his head and leaned back against the wall of the ambulance as he tried to calm himself from attacking Marino and finishing him off himself. He knew he couldn't do that, and even though he was in the police force, he wouldn't get away with doing it. He let a few moments of silence go between them before he heard Marino speak up, or at least trying to do so. The Detective once again leaned toward Marino as he listened to what the bad cop had to say.

"I...I." he wet his lips. Everything he did, it seemed to take up all of his energy, "I'm glad...I'm alive." Marino got out.

"You're glad you're alive?" Frost growled at Marino, he was almost ready to rip off his face, "Are you planning on finishing off the job, or somethin'?"

"I plan on-."

"Don't! Even tell me, Bobby!" Frost hissed to his former friend at the PD.

His tone with the injured party caused the EMT to turn around and give Frost a look, she didn't know what to make of the situation, but this man was injured and she was a paramedic, so she was there to give him medical help.

Frost inhaled and tried to relax himself as he set his jaw before he finally continued, "You really should be praying to be dead, Marino." he told Bobby and glared to him, "Cause once Rizzoli gets her hands on you, you will be." he gave Marino a look and his eyes flashed with a certain hatred for this man now.

"She won't hurt me." Marino tried his best to chuckle, but then tried his best to prevent it.

"Oh, you think so?" Frost raised his brow as the ambulance came to a halt, obviously at the ER now, "You wait, Marino. You better start prayin'." Frost told him before he shoved open the door before the EMT could open it from the outside, and he jumped out, not giving so much as a parting glare over his shoulder, he just needed to know Jane was fine.


	4. Chapter 4

Maura had been by Jane's room to see how the Italian Detective was doing after her surgeries, and as soon as she'd passed by the window, even through the slats of the Venetian blinds, Maura saw the Rizzoli's packed into that small room. She saw Frank Sr standing there and looking out of the window on the world outside the safety of the hospital, and she saw Angela sitting at her daughter's side, clutching her hand, that same hand that, years before had fallen victim to Hoyt's craftsmanship in pinning the Detective down with the use of a scalpel. Angie sat at her daughter's side, clutching onto Jane's hand while she sobbed into a handkerchief.

"How's Frankie doin'." Angela asked her husband, not tearing her eyes away from Jane's face.

"Doctor's have said he's doin' well, considering." Frank answered gravely, also he didn't flick his eyes away from their focus point on the outside world. The Boston day had drawn to a close and the sun had set already. The street lamps were already flicking themselves on for the long night hours and cars whizzed by in a flurry of headlamps and brake lights.

"I know, Frank. I know." Angela glanced over to Frank, still standing in that same spot at the window, "We almost lost our son...and our daughter." she added turning back toward Jane.

Upon seeing that scene, Maura had frowned to herself. She watched them for a while before she turned away and she moved along the corridor, she was originally going on her way to get some air. The blonde really just wanted to give the Rizzoli's time with their daughter, and their son when they went to see Frankie Jr. Even though she didn't have any siblings (that she had grown up knowing), Maura knew how tough it could be on a family to think you were going to lose someone so loved and close within the circle. So, the Doctor has decided on giving them time together.

"I'm just glad Maura did her best to keep Frankie alive." Angie said softly as Maura walked away, causing the blonde to smile gently to herself, knowing that the youngest of the Rizzoli family was alive and fighting to get better already, "Though, Detective Frost told me that the dirty cop, Marino really will get what's coming to him once Janie gets better..."

Maura swallowed, she had forgotten that the exact reason Frankie and Jane were in the hospital was because of Bobby Marino. The Medical Examiner moistened her lips that had suddenly became dry and cracked before she moved towards the nurses' post, "Could you tell me which room Bobby Marino is in?" she smiled softly to the medical receptionist manning the desk.

"I'm sorry ma'am, only family or officers have visting privileges with that patient." the redheaded receptionist answered Maura's question.

"I work with the Boston PD, I'm not an officer but this man, I have to talk to him." explained Maura, hopeful she would change the redhead's mind about visitation rights for Marino.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry I cannot allow you to visit Mr Marino...I've been to-"

"Maura? Maura Isles?" a strong, male voice Maura knew too well came from behind her. He was already smiling when she turned to face him, and she didn't need to say a thing, "Excuse me miss, this woman is the Chief Medical Examiner with the Boston PD, I think you should let her go in and talk with this patient."

Maura turned back to the medical receptionist as she awaited her confirmation or decline of going to talk with Marino.

"I really shouldn't allow it..." the redhead began as she looked around the busy reception post to check for any of her superiors before she continued, "But, since you are a Doctor of sorts and work around Officers, I can let you in."

"Thank you, is he awake? Responsive?" Maura asked as she glanced to the male, who now stood beside her then back to the redheaded receptionist.

"He's drifting in and out of consciousness."

Maura gave a nod and moved away from the nurses's station before she looked up at that familiar face, "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

"I heard that there was a situation at the station, and I got worried about you. I saw that your friend, Jane was injured and her brother too, I thought you might have been..." he replied.

"Jane..." Maura sighed, "She saved the day. Risked her own life to end the hostage situation." Maura explained, looking down. She was still shaken up. A few seconds passed between them, listening to the routine beeps and bustling of any hospital before she looked up at him. He had taken her hand in his, and before she made to respond, he spoke up first.

"You know I care about you, Maura." he said simply at first. He was looking into her hazel eyes, "I may not have been around because of who I am, but I always cared about you and loved you. You know that, don't you?"

"Not here, please." the blonde replied sternly, yet she had a softness in her voice.

"I just want you to know that, if anybody tried to hurt you, you know what I can do." he told her. He gave her hand one last squeeze before allowing it free and to drop back down to her side, "Tell Jane that Mr Selsi was asking about her." he gave Maura a knowing smile before he left her to go along with visiting Marino.

Maura stood and watched as her father, Paddy Doyle walked along the corridor and disappeared into a flurry of third year medical students before she rejoined reality and focused on what she needed to do; talk to Marino. The blonde turned on her heel and located the private room he was situated inside, it was obvious which was his, since a relief officer was standing outside. All she had to do was flash her M.E badge and she was inside the room.

Once she was inside the room, she saw how Bobby was sedated, and had an intravenous line pumping in blood to his body from the loss caused by the gunshot wound. Maura looked around the room, and she saw nothing out of the ordinary, nobody had been to visit him yet. Softly, Maura moved to the chair at the bedside, and set down her purse on the table before sitting herself in the chair, looking to Marino.

A few moments after she had settled into the chair and she had watched him, his eyes began to open to see her sitting there. The Detective blinked a few times to clear his vision before he realized it was Maura and he gave a pained chuckle, "Hey Doc..." he gave her the best smirk he could muster.

"You think this is funny? That, you killed all of those people, good people you once worked with...doesn't that make you feel anything?" she asked him, her tone was empathetic.

"Yeah, makes me feel strong."

"But you didn't get what you came for; the evidence?" Maura replied, "And this will still go to trial. Bobby, you're not going to be seeing any of Boston. Once you're healed from your wounds, they'll transfer you to Souza-Baranowski. Think of all the people who will testify against you; Jane, Frankie, Cavanaugh..." she reeled off more names before she finally added, "Me. I'm going to be testifying against you too, Bobby."

He saw that anger in Maura's eyes, that same anger he saw as she ran towards he and Jane as he held onto the Italian Detective, at gunpoint. It was the same anger Maura had held while she interviewed Charles Hoyt, and he spoke about killing Jane, or the same anger when her father had kidnapped her for the first time before she realized he had only wanted to protect her. Bobby saw it, and he knew what it stemmed from; love.

"You won't get away with doing this Bobby, and I know that plenty of people would give their right arms to get into this room and let you know that." Maura spoke, but before she continued Bobby interrupted her train of thought.

"You mean Rizzoli, don't you?" he asked the Medical Examiner.

"I do. And I know that Frost and Korsak would also back her up. They're both close to her, partners are always close." Maura explained.

"You're pretty close with her, too..." Bobby insinuated.

"Yes, I work with Jane closely."

"I know, but I saw how she protected you when I was in the lab with the three of you; you, Frankie and Jane." Bobby said, "Nobody jumps in front of someone like she did, unless they love you, Doc."

Maura just blinked at Bobby as he lay in bed, gritting his teeth as the pain was still searing at uneven intervals through his body. She had not really realized that before. Jane had saved her countless times; during the Boston Strangler case when he had appeared in the lab and held Maura hostage, Jane had taken him out with a baseball bat. Jane had saved Maura from the fire in the Cape Verdian church, during the exorcism. She had also made Maura realize that Garrett had been Adam Fairfield's killer, saving her from rekindling anything with him.

"I think you're in love with Detective Rizzoli, Doctor Isles." Bobby smirked, his grin crooked from the pain.

"I think you're wrong, Bobby."

"Someone always has to be wrong with you, Doctor. You're the one who always has to be right!" Bobby barked and then groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Only when they are wrong." Maura replied, "I believe Jane shot through your lateral anterior thoracic nerve, that can prove to be extremely painful. As well as your trapezius, thoracic vertebrae and your rhomboideus major." Maura gave Bobby a look that said; '_I'm glad you're here, suffering._' before she then continued, "You'll be lucky if you recover from these injuries."

"You lookin' forward to cutting me open already, Doc?" Bobby gave her that cocky smirk once again. Though his expression said that he wanted to piss her off and he was thoroughly enjoying doing so, his eyes told her that the pain was impossible to endure for much longer.

"I do believe at some point, I will perform your autopsy. Yes." the Medical Examiner replied, her tone venomous, though her expression was gentle, as ever.

"Yeah, someday, Doc..." Bobby grunted a few times, "Keep wishing." he managed to hiss through his gritted teeth.

Maura watched Bobby as he was obviously struggling with pain, before she heard a series of fast paced beeps from the heart monitor he was attached to, it signalled the rapid increase of Bobby's heart rate, he was going into cardiac arrest. Maura looked to him slightly alarmed and didn't know what to do about it, until the attending nurse rushed into the room, with several doctors and saw Maura there, as the machine flatlined.


	5. Chapter 5

The light glared through Jane's eyelids as she began to come through. She blinked quickly, groaning and moving an arm in front of her face to shield the light before wincing and bringing it back down to her side. She leaned her head back and banged it against the wall in frustration.

"Fucker, Marino," she grunted in pain. She felt like she's being split in half. Images flashed before her eyes, blurring her vision and making it hard to remember.

Frankie on the table. Korsak and Frost with guns pointed at the her. Bobby's arm around her neck. The gun in her stomach. The bang. Maura.

Jane's eyes fly open. _Maura, Frankie. Where are they?_ She looked around and finds the button for the intercom. She called the nurse's station.

"Everything okay, Ms. Rizzoli?" a female voice called to her, with the Boston twang.

"Where's my brother? Where's Frankie?" Jane demanded.

"He's just down the hall. But, please stay still. You need rest. He's stable and okay, thanks to the work that M.E. did."

Jane grunted in response and cuts her off. She saw an empty wheel chair just outside her door. Ignoring the nurse's orders, she unhooked the IVs and moved off the bed. She uses the wall for support as she limps her way to the door. Stumbling, she slid down the wall and grimaces in pain, clutching her side. Blood started to soak through the hospital gown from her wound.

"Dammit. Ucky Slucky is gonna kill me," she said before trying to crawl the rest of the way out of the room. Jane paused next to the door, looking into the hall to see if anyone is around. Seeing both ways were clear, she hoisted herself up into the wheelchair.

Grunting and clenching her jaw with every push, she slowly made her way down the hall towards her brother's room.

"Frankie!" she called in a hushed whisper.

"Jane! What are you doing?" Maura's yelled from the opposite end of the hall.

"Shit, Maur. You gave me a heart attack," Jane turned around.

"If I gave you a heart attack, you'd be in bed where you are supposed to be," she replied, turning Jane around in the chair towards her room. "Though, I'm glad you got a wheel chair."

"No, stop! I'm going to check on Frankie!"

"Jane, you need to stay put."

"I need to see him," She said in a voice that sounds close to a growl.

"Okay, fine. But after that, back to bed," Maura pushed Jane into Frankie's room, locking the wheels next to his bed.

Jane touched his hand gently, afraid to wake him. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry as she watched him slowly wake up.

"Janie, is that you?" he whispers.

"Hey buddy. How you feelin'?"

"Not so good," he smiles weakly.

"I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

"Shut up, Jane. It was my fault I got shot."

Jane shook her head and looked away, blinking tears from her eyes.

"Janie, are we gonna make it?" he grabbed her hand tightly.

A tear rolled down her cheek and she nods, squeezing his hand back. "They're not getting us down that easy."

"Jane, it's _easily_," Maura interrupted. "You used it in the form of an adjective. But in that case it's an adverb."

"Thanks, Maura," Jane sighed and nodded.

"Always the same Maura," Frankie said, smiling.

Maura nodded and smiled back at him. Her face fell and she froze as she hears a bustling going on outside.

"Jane, I need to take you back to your room. We have to talk about something," she says, her voice cold and distant.

Jane looked at her suspiciously before nodding and turning back to Frankie. "Be good, Frankie. We'll be out of here in no time."

"Jane, we have to go," Maura fiddled with her rings and looks to the door again.

"Maura, calm down. They aren't gonna arrest you for letting my visit Frankie. I would know. I'm the police," Jane said, but Maura came over and started wheeling her away anyway.

"See ya, Janie."

Once they get to the hall, Jane spoke up, "Geez! Where's the fire?"

"There is no fire, Jane. The fire alarm would be going off."

"It's just an expression, Maur," Jane sighed.

"Oh, you'll have to teach me those sometime."

"You're acting weirder than usual. What happened?"

Maura opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by more noise in the nurse's station.

"Time of death, 13:47," a nurse's voice came from a room.

"He's dead?" another shouted.

"Yes, the last person in here was a… Doctor Maura Isles. But, she's not a doctor here," the first nurse replied.

The second nurse slumped down into a chair. "She's a medical examiner. She wasn't supposed to go in."

Jane's jaw dropped and she wheeled herself the rest of her way to her room before turning around. "Maura, what did you do? Did you kill Marino?"

"Ja- Jane, I didn't. I didn't mean to do anything. He just… He just died," Maura's voice shook and she twisted her ring around her finger.

Jane didn't know what to do. She was partly happy for him being gone, one less monster to haunt her nightmares. But, she knew Maura would be blamed. She moved out of the chair and back on the bed, clutching at her wound. Blood seeped out, soaking through the hospital gown.

"Maura, get the doctor," Jane choked out before passing out.


	6. Chapter 6

Outside the window, Jane could see a storm coming. The thunderclouds were rumbling, and the lightning slashing across the sky in the distance. In the room, Maura was standing above a man in a hospital bed.

Her normally flawless appearance looked wrinkled as she hovered over the man.

"Maura!" Jane called, trying to get the attention of her best friend. But Maura didn't even flinch. "Dammit, Maura!" Still, nothing.

"Do you have any idea of the pain you caused?" Maura asked the man.

"Pain I caused! You can't be serious. I just gave them what they deserved," he answered. His voice was scratchy and weak, but still undeniably Bobby Marino's.

"Maura, what are you doing?" Jane cried.

"I love her, Bobby. You killed her and I loved her. You killed Jane," Maura said, reaching for the switch to his morphine drip. "You don't deserve to live. Feel the pain you caused, Bobby. Feel the pain rush to your brain as the medicine wears off."

"Stop!" Jane's voice rang out in desperation.

Bobby's eyes bulged and his mouth opened wide. The pain overtook him, too much for his brain to handle.

"Maura!" Jane yelled and bolted upright. She grabbed her side immediately, looking around the room frantically. Her side felt as if it were on fire. It was burning, even to the touch. Maura was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Her dress was wrinkled from prolonged use. She was staring at Jane with worry and fear.

"Jane? Jane, are you okay?" she asked.

Jane took a few gasping breaths, still recovering from the nightmare. "Did you kill him, Maura?" Jane spit out between her clenched teeth. She was afraid what had happened in her dream happened in reality too.

Maura took a step back as if the question had been a physical blow. She didn't know what to say. She didn't entirely know the truth.

"I– I'm not sure," she whispered.

"What do you mean you're not sure? You're a doctor," Jane said, waving her arms.

"Jane, stop. You're going to rip your stitches again."

"My stitches are fine," Jane growled, reminding Maura of a threatened Rottweiler. "Tell me what happened."

"I can't, Jane. I don't know."

"I'm your only chance of not going to jail. You need to tell me what you _do _know."

Maura took a deep breath and went through everything she knew: from Doyle showing up, to her finding Jane in the hall. She was scared. She knew she didn't have much of a chance, even though she was innocent.

Jane stayed silent as she took in Maura's story with the experience of a homicide detective. "Okay, you were with him when he died. So, you don't have an alibi," Jane said as she chewed on her lip.

"Why are you treating me like a suspect, Jane? I didn't kill him. And even if I did, he deserved it," Maura's eyes flashed with anger. She never got like this, especially not with Jane.

"I believe you, Maura. But we have to convince a jury and a judge," she locked her gaze with Maura's.

Maura slumped down in the chair. "How did this happen?" she covering her face with her hands.

"I don't know. But we're gonna find out. As soon as I get out of here," Jane looked around the room for the call button. "Now where the hell is the call button?"

"You can't leave, Jane. Not yet," she sighed and looked to her best friend.

"Like hell I can't. I need to solve this damn case," she pushed herself upright.

"Jane, stop. You can't move, you'll hurt yourself."

"Leave it to Marino to hurt me from his grave," Jane grumbled. "God! He's worse than Hoyt!"

"Don't tell me he's back too!" a voice called from outside. Jane's eyes widened instantly.

"Ma! What are you doing here?" Jane cried as her mother walked in with balloons and flowers.

"I heard about your stitches, Janie. You need to listen for your doctors for once. I've almost lost you twice now. You know what they say about the third time," she said as she put the flowers on the table.

"Yeah, third time's the charm. If only I could be so lucky," Jane moved the pillow over her eyes and clicked her heels together. "There's no place like home. There's not place like home. There's not place like home."

"Jane, I know you have a Toto dog, but you are not Dorothy," Angela said, putting her hands on her hips in disapproval.

"I think she's referring to the nightmare that Dorothy woke up from by clicking her heels together," Maura pointed out. "Although, that isn't a reliable way of waking oneself from slumber."

Jane groaned and tried to lift herself out of the bed.

"Jane! Where are you going? You have to stay in bed!" her mother shouted.

"Ma, I can't take this! Maura and I have to talk about something. Can you go visit Frankie or something?"

Angela sighed and rolled her eyes at Maura as she left.

"You could have been better towards your mother. She just wants you to be comfortable."

"Nevermind that. What are we going to do? We have to find Doyle."

"Jane, I'm not turning him in. They'd give him the death sentence. The lethal injection isn't humane. I can't do that to my own _father_!"

"Whoa, Maur. Slow down."

"We don't even know he's the one who killed him. We can't incriminate him for this."

"We don't have any other choice," Jane's voice was dark.

"No, I won't do it," Maura shook her head and Jane sighed.


End file.
